Bug Identifier
Masked Hunter (Nymph)
Community identification

Masked Hunter (Nymph)

Reduvius personatus

Order & Family
Order: Hemiptera, Family: Reduviidae
Size
15 to 22 mm when fully grown
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Often found indoors in homes, barns, and storage areas, or outdoors under rocks and debris

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator that eats small arthropods like bed bugs, flies, and carpet beetles

Behavior Patterns

The nymph covers its sticky body with dust and lint for camouflage; it is primarily nocturnal and a solitary hunter

Risks & Benefits

Benefits humans by eating household pests; however, it can deliver a painful (but not medically significant) bite if handled